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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27907096">Weakness</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/laticat/pseuds/laticat'>laticat</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Hades (Video Game 2018)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Achilles is there for 5 seconds, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, M/M, Pining, Spoilers, but just a bit, these boys are so Soft</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 18:27:18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,406</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27907096</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/laticat/pseuds/laticat</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Thanatos counted his heartbeats in his head. <i>One…two...three.</i> A barely audible rush of liquid sounded from the other room, muffled by the distance, shortly followed by the considerably louder cheery chime of his brother’s voice. </p><p>Thanatos’ grip tightened on the scythe he carried, his gaze focused into the open air, listening intently for the familiar sizzling tread of his friend’s feet. Several minutes passed. Lord Hades had not yet returned from his chambers after his sudden arrival from the pool, and the halls were filled only with the drifting whispers of the shades. It felt as if all the House were holding its breath.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Thanatos &amp; Zagreus (Hades Video Game), Thanatos/Zagreus (Hades Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>283</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Weakness</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Spoilers for main story. This takes place pre-locked heart conversation, so no spoilers for Thanatos' general route.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Thanatos hovered by the balcony overlooking the Styx, his feet skimming the recently installed plush rug below. He spent so much time away from home, and whenever he came back there was always something new. For all the anguish Zagreus’ repeated escape attempts had caused him at first, now that he knew he would be staying in the end…he appreciated the changes.</p><p>Thanatos tapped his fingers against the railing of the balcony with a nervous energy he had begun to feel much more commonly, now. It should be…soon.</p><p>A few minutes seemed to drag past in relative silence, save for the quiet rushing of the Styx far below, when suddenly Thanatos felt a brief, cold pressure in his chest. A pang of dread curdled his stomach at the sensation, but it was overtaken by a flare of excitement. Zagreus was on his way home. Thanatos counted his heartbeats in his head. <i>One…two...three.</i> A barely audible rush of liquid sounded from the other room, muffled by the distance, shortly followed by the considerably louder cheery chime of his brother’s voice.</p><p>Thanatos’ grip tightened on the scythe he carried, his gaze focused into the open air, listening intently for the familiar sizzling tread of his friend’s feet. Several minutes passed. Lord Hades had not yet returned from his chambers after his sudden arrival from the pool, and the halls were filled only with the drifting whispers of the shades. It felt as if all the House were holding its breath.</p><p>A few more minutes passed in silence. Thanatos frowned. Zagreus always made his rounds of the House, greeting its inhabitants and checking in with them before plunging off into the depths of Tartarus once more. It was a ritual Thanatos had come to treasure, on the few occasions he was able to be here at the same time.</p><p>
  <i>Did he forget?</i>
</p><p>No. Zagreus would not forget.</p><p>
  <i>Then what if...</i>
</p><p>A pit opened in Thanatos’ stomach. Did he leave him? Again? With a frustrated scowl, the god quashed that childish train of thought. Zagreus had said he was staying. As reckless and unthinking as he could be, he was not a liar. And yet, a persistent anxiety gnawed at the back of his mind.</p><p>Thanatos turned quickly, crossing the length of the hallway in a blink. Achilles stood at his post by his Lord’s chambers, and he nodded a curt greeting to the shade. As he turned to proceed into the Great Hall, the old hero shifted his stance, waving him down. “Thanatos. May I speak to you for a moment?”</p><p>Thanatos sighed impatiently under his breath, wrenching his gaze from scanning the Hall and turning it on the shade instead. “Achilles. What is it?”</p><p>The warrior frowned slightly, his eyebrows creasing. “If you are looking for Zagreus, the lad went in the direction of his rooms.” There was a certain tension to him, as if there was something going unsaid.</p><p>Thanatos’ frown deeped. Was he worried for Zagreus? The nagging feeling in the back of his mind grew stronger. Something felt wrong, but he could not place what. “Very well.”</p><p>Without waiting for a reply, he turned his back on the shade and shifted across the Great Hall in the space of a heartbeat. He retraced the path worn into his memory from his younger years, back when he and Zagreus were actually able to spend time together. Past the lounge, the vases of flowers around Nyx’s currently empty post, the closed door to the gardens, down the hall. He drifted past multiple other doors and hallways, leading to more public rooms, before reaching Zagreus’ wing.</p><p>It was not quite in disuse, as Dusa kept the area looking orderly and free of dust. But it felt more…hollow, now. Zagreus no longer slept in his chambers, or pored over scrolls detailing the exploits of heroes, or tried to goad him to spar in the training room. With the god staying so briefly between his trips into hell, the place seemed lacking.</p><p>Thanatos drifted toward the doors to Zagreus’ rooms, slowly, cautiously. Zagreus might have left already, if he was in such a hurry. Of course he would be back, eventually. Of course he would. But he wished to see him again, before--</p><p>A sound caught Thanatos’ ear and he froze in place, a few feet from the door. Silence descended on the hall and he waited, holding his breath. A moment later he heard it again: a small, muffled choking sound. An icy feeling dripped down his back. It had been years since he last heard that noise.</p><p>Without thinking, he surged forward the final distance to the doors and pushed them open. He let his scythe go in the process and it vanished, to be summoned again later. Thanatos pushed halfway into the room before lurching to a halt again, his eyes immediately glancing toward the bed.</p><p>A figure was hunched there, small and alone, on the stone floor. The candles around the room were mostly unlit, which cast him in shadow. But Thanatos could see a single green eye, wide with surprise and staring directly at him.</p><p>Zagreus scrambled to his feet, their warm glow sparking on the stone. In his haste he slammed his elbow into the small table by the bed, and bit out a strangled curse under his breath. He turned his back to Thanatos for a moment, trying unsuccessfully to covertly scrub at his face. After a pall of silence, with only his harsh breathing and the quiet sizzle of his feet on the floor to break the silence, Zagreus finally turned. He smiled, but it faltered at the corners and turned into more of a grimace. His shoulders were tense, his fists tight at his sides, and his face looked too red. Thanatos’ heart lurched in his chest.</p><p>“Than. Why-- what are you doing here?” Zagreus choked out, his voice thin and rough.</p><p>Thanatos stared for a moment, still frozen in the open doorway. “I-- You-- I didn’t see you, when you came back. I was-- what happened?”</p><p>Zagreus’ faltering smile collapsed completely and he covered his eyes with one hand, sinking down to sit on the edge of the bed. His other hand was braced behind him, as if he might fall over. Thanatos forced himself to move again, entering the rest of the way into Zagreus’ room and closing the doors behind him. They swung shut with an audible groan and a click, and then the pair was left in silence again.</p><p>Zagreus breathed; deep, shaky breaths that caused his chest to shudder. He seemed to shrink smaller somehow. The sight of him like this cut deep into Thanatos’ heart. He could not bear to see Zagreus, the cheerful and boisterous man he was, hunched and quiet like this. He drifted forward again, hovering hesitantly in the center of the room.</p><p>“She--” Zagreus’ voice was harsh but quiet, and bitten off as if it burned. “Mother. I just-- Saw her. She told me not to come back.”</p><p>Thanatos felt as if the breath was stolen from his lungs. He stared at Zagreus, whose head was cast down, his eyes hidden from view. He had watched him cut through scores of shades, drenched in blood and sweat, fighting so desperately just for another chance to see her again. And she cast him aside? After all this? A deep, cold anger bubbled up within him. It wasn’t fair. He did not deserve this.</p><p>In the silence, something in Zagreus seemed to splinter. He let out a choked sob, and turned to the side to hide his face. Tension flared in his shoulders, and he seemed to be fighting himself, trying to hold back his heartbreak.</p><p>Thanatos found himself drifting close, his arm half extended. He wanted to touch him, but he feared that it would make him shatter. He watched Zagreus sob again, silently, and could not hold himself back any longer.</p><p>Closing the rest of the distance, Thanatos put one hand on Zagreus’ shoulder. He flinched as if struck, every muscle in his shoulders tense. Then he slowly relaxed, and another hand came up to clench tightly over Thanatos’ own. Carefully, he lowered himself down onto the bed next to Zagreus. It dipped beneath their combined weight.</p><p>Zagreus’ hand clenched around Thanatos’ fingers so hard that it hurt, but that was unimportant. He waited as Zagreus slowly uncurled himself, shifted around to face him, and finally buried his face into his shoulder. He shuddered out another harsh breath, his tears dampening Thanatos’ skin. Thanatos wrapped his arm around him in an awkward hug. It had been so long since he last held Zagreus like this, back when they were children. But he seemed so thoroughly shaken now. Thanatos’ throat felt tight.</p><p>They stayed there for some time, embracing on the edge of the bed. Zagreus shook in Thanatos’ arms, his hand still crushingly strong around his own. Thanatos let his eyes close for a moment, breathing in the smell of his best friend. The acrid, heavy scent of the Styx still covered him, but it began to fade the longer he held him.</p><p>Zagreus' breaths slowly stopped tearing from his lungs, his sobs quieted, and the shaking halted. He leaned more fully into Thanatos’ side, his hair tickling his neck. Their hands were still clenched together, but Zagreus’ grip relaxed from a bone-crushing force to a looser hold, letting their fingers intertwine.</p><p>Eventually Zagreus pulled back, hesitantly looking up to meet Thanatos’ gaze. His eyes were red and puffy from crying, and his face was a wreck. Strands of hair were stuck to his forehead. Thanatos brushed them away with his free hand and Zagreus took a deep breath, his eyes fluttering closed.</p><p>“Mm...I’m...sorry you saw that, Than.” Zagreus said quietly, his eyes dropping back to the floor. He sat up, pulling their hands apart and rubbing his face. “I didn’t mean to let it get to me like that.”</p><p>Thanatos let out a deep breath, realizing he had been holding it for some time. “Zagreus. Do not apologize. You…I can’t imagine how this must feel.” He didn’t know what to say. The silence hung heavy between them. He chewed his lip, searching for the right words. “What are you going to do now?”</p><p>Zagreus sighed, running his hands through his hair. “I’m going back to her. I’m not going to stop, like this. We have to be able to fix this. Somehow. We have to.” He picked his head up then, and despite the redness from the crying, his eyes were determined. He met Thanatos’ gaze, as if challenging him.</p><p>Thanatos sighed, shifting into a more comfortable position. “Of course. I would expect nothing less. Is there, um. Anything I can do?”</p><p>That managed to pull a smile out of Zagreus. It was small but genuine, the kind that glowed like a candle. “You already have, Than. I hope I’ll still see you out there sometimes, yeah?” He stood, briskly dusting off his clothes like nothing happened. He picked up his sword from where it had fallen under the bedside table, propping it against the bed.</p><p>Thanatos drifted to his feet, his arms crossed in front of his body. “That isn’t what I meant and you know it.” They both stood for a second, comfortably close, but there was still a lingering tension in the air. “It’s okay to feel down, you know. All of this is hard. You don’t have to be so strong all the time.”</p><p>Zagreus’ smile faltered again and he stilled, no longer worrying at the hilt of his sword. “Thanks Than, but I don’t have time to mope around. Fear is for the weak. I can’t get distracted now.”</p><p>Thanatos’ mouth twitched into a scowl at the words. Achilles had really drilled them into his head, hadn’t he? “Being upset by this does not make you weak, Zagreus. I know firsthand how strong you are. Instead of ignoring how you feel, and making it worse, let it drive you forward. Find a way out of this mess.”</p><p>Zagreus was silent for a moment, his face giving away nothing, his eyes searching Thanatos’ own. He was struck suddenly by the sheer difference in Zagreus since this all began. Not only was he faster and stronger than before, but there was…a sharpness to him. The way he carried himself showed a weight, a seriousness, that had not been there before.</p><p> “Thanks, Than.” Zagreus said eventually, his voice low and quiet. “Really. I’ll...take care of myself.” His words dropped off as his voice grew hoarse again, and he cleared his throat.</p><p>“Yes. Well,” Thanatos placed his hand on Zagreus’ shoulder again, gripping it tightly. “If you, you know. Need to talk or something. Come find me.” His face twisted a bit, and he reconsidered. “Well, I guess I’ll find you. You know what I mean.”</p><p>Zagreus smiled again, this time a bit wider, and some of the tension seemed to bleed out of him. “Yes, of course. Now don’t you have, I don’t know, soul collecting to do or something? I think I’ve delayed you long enough here.” He let out a wry chuckle, brushing his hand up to cover Thanatos’ again.</p><p>Thanatos felt a warm shiver travel up his arm where Zagreus’ skin brushed his own. He allowed a thin smile to ghost his features. “You are worth every moment, Zagreus. But yes, I do need to get going again, I suppose. I will find you soon. Good luck out there, Zag. Though I honestly don’t think you need it.”</p><p>Zagreus stepped back, his fingers lingering on Thanatos’ for a moment. His smile widened a bit more, ever so slightly. “I look forward to seeing you out there, Thanatos. But thank you for the vote of confidence.”</p><p>Thanatos met his warm gaze, and it felt like the sun cresting the horizon. He quickly swept his hand to the side, summoning his scythe with a practiced twirl of his wrist. A dim gonging sound echoed around the room as he did, and the candles flickered green for a moment before returning to their normal warm hue. “Good bye for now, Zagreus. Be safe.” The last thing he saw before shifting into the mortal plane was Zagreus’ smile, warm and soft, and the eyes above it sharp with determination.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So this was my first fanfic, I hope you liked it! This game has consumed me over the past week or so and I just had to make something for it. Zagreus is so affectionate in-game I like the idea of him being cuddly as well, and Than being used to it from growing up together.</p><p>By the way, I haven't gotten past Thanatos' locked heart yet, so please no spoilers in the comments. Thanks for reading!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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